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Walking in Bangalore

Bangalore’s rapid urban growth has been coupled with increased motorization and road expansion. However, local government has not matched this population growth with the corresponding infrastructure development, particularly when it comes to building safe, accessible sidewalks for pedestrians. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.

58% of the investments in Bangalore’s comprehensive mobility plan are allocated to road construction and expansion. This leaves little money for creating pedestrian pathways alongside the road, forcing pedestrians to walk on the edge of streets and risk collision with cars. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.

Bangalore has a strong public transport system, with plans to increase the quality and capacity of service, The Bangalore Intra-city Grid (BIG) bus system is already the largest bus system in India. But the challenge remains how to connect residents to public transport in a safe and affordable way. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.

Auto-rickshaws offer last-mile connectivity to mass transport, yet their rising prices often makes them viable only for Bangalore’s middle class. This leaves many others skirting along the sides of roadways in order to reach affordable transport. Photo by vanou/Flickr.

Multiple modes of transport thrive, but Bangalore will need to integrate them in unison to provide safe, reliable and comfortable transport. Photo by Benoit Colin/ EMBARQ.

New green spaces and elevated pathways provide safer access to the Mahatma Gandhi Metro station, a central transport hub. With people-oriented urban development in mind, Bangalore can grow and thrive while improving livability. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.

Walking creates clear benefits for cities and the people who live in them, relieving traffic congestion, reducing air pollution, and increasing physical activity to name a few. People-oriented urban planning should provide good conditions for walking and other modes of active transport, in order to increase public health and quality of life. Photo by Benoit Colin/ EMBARQ.

With a population of nearly 10 million people, Bangalore has witnessed explosive urban growth and increased motorization in recent years. City planners responded to this unprecedented growth by building and expanding roads for cars, without fully considering how urban development can better serve people. Pedestrians are perhaps the most affected by this, facing great obstacles to simply walking safely in their communities. Thin sidewalks and a lack of dividers force pedestrians to compete for space with cars and auto-rickshaws, making it uncomfortable and unsafe for those who use sidewalks—where they exist. However, EMBARQ India’s efforts to design a more walkable and sustainable Bangalore have shown that it is possible to re-orient urban design around people and support walking, cycling, and active transport. Walking benefits cities and the people who live in them by relieving traffic congestion, reducing air pollution, and increasing physical activity, improving quality of life and creating cities for people, not cars.